The beginning of the newest GCRN Experiment lies the very first Top 50 Countdown. In this inaugural version of the Countdown we collaborate with fans and podcasters alike to create the Top 50 Video Game Franchises. Some will rise to the occasion while others will disappoint. Join Steve, Mike, Neil and Doug as we go through the Top 50 to 26 in Part 1 of the Countdown! Be sure to sound-off below and as always “UNLEASH THE GEEK IN YOU!”

*NOTE: Please be gentle on our ill knowledge of some particular games. We had some hosting issues come up where the parties who knew of these types were unable to be present. Part 2 will be much better if this same panel moves forth due to what comes up. – Steve “Megatron”

**NOTE: We WILL be discussing the ones that didn’t make the list based on fan questions/interaction in Episode 142 of Altered Geek. So if you don’t hear your favorite in the Top 50 inquire and we will bring it up where it landed in that episode. – Steve “Megatron”

Geeks

Steve “Megatron” Phillips

Mike “TFG1” Blanchard

TV’s Mr Neil

Doug Abel

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38 Replies to “The Top 50 – Video Game Franchises – Part 1”

I usually really enjoy your countdown shows this was a slog to get through to be honest. 90% of the shows you brought up no one had anything to say or never played them. It was awkward to listen to in spots. Hoping the next episode improves when you get into more of the more notable franchises.

Thanks for hanging in there. Yeah as we said, and as Steve annotated above, we had a last min host scheduling thing, and the one “modern gamer” that we had on the panel had to drop out do to real life issues.

Yea I too missed the group from the previous countdown. Thought everyone brought something unique to the table on that one. I wouldn’t call it a slog as you mentioned but a more varied panel is more interesting to listen to when hearing countdowns like this.

I did find it funny how they disliked most of the games listed. That was quite funny.

The panel was reached out to, but none were particularily interested or thought they had more to bring than we did to the episodes. So they bowed out. I didn’t expect so many of particular games to show but this Top 25 coming are ones I am familiar with and we’ll have Dodd back on who plays for a living on gaming. I wouldn’t say it was our best but it had things that aren’t the Top 25 (or what casual gamers) players. It was funny how about 50% of the 26-50 was disliked though.

*NOTE: Please be gentle on our ill knowledge of some particular games. We had some hosting issues come up where the parties who knew of these types were unable to be present. Part 2 will be much better if this same panel moves forth due to what comes up. – Steve “Megatron”

That was a cool podcast, but yeah, I have to agree it was a bit of a slog. I mean, I’m not really much of a gamer to begin with, which you could’ve probably told from my ballot, but it would’ve been nice to learn more. Oh, in case it comes up again, (And since I didn’t see “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” show up yet, I’m presuming it probably will; okay, that’s my probably my pipe dream]) it’s pronounced, Ba-roof-y, like a roof on a building. Ba-roof-y.

I realize that and will address it in the next episode. We were supposed to have a more modern gamer but he had unexpected life issues arise. We’ll be good on the 2nd half as it’s things we’ve all played.

I somewhat give it a pass because video games are a unique beast. Movies and TV can be watched by anyone at any time. With games you need the specific platform that game is available on so its hard to be an expert or knowledgeable about it all.

I do wish the guys from Off the Cuff were on it though they would have added a lot think. Especially when Borderlands coming up. I remember them talking about that game a bunch.

Wow that’s a random list for games for sure. See what was hard for me when it came to listing franchises is what’s consider a franchise and what isn’t. Like with Star Wars. Is that one or break it up by game. Is Tetris a franchise or a just the same game over and over? I see it both ways.

I will say you didn’t give the Sims games enough credit. There is a lot of strategy and fun to be had with those too. Yes it may be like playing with grown up barbie dolls in a sense but you could say that for a lot of games.

It was a difficult thing but there are sub-genre’s in some of these that almost need to be their own sub-franchise as it were. Some of the games got lumped back into themselves based on title and some instances not but it depended on how many were under that sub category. Turtles was really a all encompassing as there really aren’t traditional “sequels” in their games as opposed to where Star Wars has Pod Race, Tie Fighter, Rogue Squadron, and only Battlefront was it’s own sub-genre or franchise unto itself whereas the others were lumped in for not a ton of sequels in those areas.

I will give you that on Sims as most people had a great deal of fun with it and it’s expansions. Star Wars I discovered had multiple games but about a dozen Battlefront’s so Battlefront was it’s own as opposed to the vast others in Star Wars. Tetris I could see your point but then again most Mario games use the same formula over and again. So again can be touchy on what is and isn’t a franchise.

I had “Tetris” in the top ten, and I thought about it myself, not including it, is it a franchise, or just multiple platforms and extensions of a game and whatnot, but since I’m not a natural gamer, I did search for “List of video game franchises” before making out my list, and I saw, like on wikipedia, where they had hundreds of game franchises alphabetically listed, and “Tetris” was on there, so my thinking was, if it counts, then it has to count really high. It’s my favorite game personally, that’s what I think about when I think video games, not these RPGs or,- hell, I’m still halfway in shock that video games have stories, for some reason that idea doesn’t compute with me even though I know consciously, yes some of the best ones have great stories in them, but if we’re looking at the purest of video games, just, something to do while I turn my mind off then it ranks high to me.

You can break Star Wars down to unique sub genres though because you have sequels to specific games and some games create their own lore and continuity. Also games like Battlefront have similar gameplay through multiple generations.

I put the list together and just went on how people voted. No one voted for a specific TMNT game, just said turtles but with Star Wars you had some people specify games and some generalize. So that may have hurt a game like battlefront if someone meant Battlefront but just said Star Wars.

Part 2 the top 25 will be out later today. either I was having connection issues or some weird bowser bot was throwing fireballs at us, because editing part 2 has become a slog. I normally don’t complain about editing, as I do enjoy it, but all this DEAD air is a nightmare. LOL THERE is GREAT discussions in part 2 though. It’s just we were experiencing major technical difficulties.

Altered Geek Entertainment is a small podcast and vidcast network based out of Michigan and run by the Co-Creator of the GeekCast Radio Network, Steve “Megatron”. The concept is for audio, video and written to collide to form the ultimate geeky experience. So Get Altered, Get Geeky with the Altered Geeks!